Treating stained garments continues to be an aspect of laundering that could be improved. There are a variety of commercially available approaches for treating stains. In one approach the consumer merely washes with a detergent touted as having the ability to treat stains. Such an approach tends to work satisfactorily if the stains are light and not greasy. If the stains are heavy, the stains might not be removed because the chemical ingredients of detergent are diluted in the wash and are not concentrated at the stain. This can leave the consumer dissatisfied when at the end of the wash cycle she sees that the stains are still visible. The prospects for successful stain treatment after washing are limited, particularly if the failure is not detected until after drying the stained garment.
Some liquid detergents can be effective when used to pre-treat stains by locally applying a small quantity of detergent to the stained portion of the garment. Many consumers do not use liquid detergents to pre-treat stains because they are unaware that such a practice can be successfully used to treat stains and the practice can be messy and cumbersome. Thus, many consumers use specialized stain treatment aids.
Stain treatment aids may be applied to the stain in liquid form by spraying or squirting the stain treatment aid directly on the stain or using a wipe impregnated with a stain treatment aid to scrub a stain. Some stain treatment aids include a motorized brush or scrubbing implement to assist with treating the stain in the fabric.
The typical consumer experience with presently available approaches for treating stains in the home is cumbersome. The consumer first has to remember to purchase the detergent, the stain treatment aid, and any accompanying devices, or replacement devices. The consumer then stores all of these items near the washing machine. Then, the consumer must remember to identify and treat stains prior to the stained garment being placed in the washing machine. The consumer must then locate the stain treatment aid and manipulate the packaging or device to apply the stain treatment aid to the stain. The consumer then stores the stain treatment aid, frequently in an unsightly gathering of laundry products nearby the washing machine. Consumers often rinse their hands after this step to avoid the greasy feeling of common stain treatment aids and to avoid transferring the stain treatment aid to other surfaces, washing machine controls, and detergent packaging. The consumer then opens the laundry detergent, measures out the appropriate dose, and delivers the dose of detergent to the washing machine. Finally the consumer stores the laundry detergent. This multistep process is a less than desirable consumer experience, particularly given all the other demands on the consumer's time and mental focus.
With these limitations in mind, there is a continuing unaddressed need for a device and approach for treating stains that intuitively or directly suggests to the consumer to treat stains properly, is intuitive for the consumer to remember to apply, is simple to apply, and performs satisfactorily.